Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/100910
Sarah Hoover: Keeping a spotlight on local theater When times got rough at the Bartell Theatre last spring, General Manager Sarah Hoover made sure everyone saw the writing on the wall���literally. With financial troubles looming Hoover hung a sign on the Bartell���s door meant as a wakeup call for the theater���s board and the community: ���The Bartell doors will close without you.��� The main culprit for Hoover���s warning was a potentially catastrophic budget gap created by the loss of a sizable annual donation. For a moment, it looked like the Bartell, which resides in a historic building off the Capitol Square, was approaching its final curtain call. But through crisis, ingenuity is often born. Since then, the Bartell has managed to tip-toe back from its own fiscal cliff. Internally, they���ve continued to rely on their unique co-op structure that helps their resident theater companies���such as Mercury Players Theatre and StageQ���share marketing and operating costs. They���ve also boosted rent revenue by becoming a new venue for performing arts groups such as Madison Ballet and InterMission Theatre��� a move that also diversifies the lineup like never before. For now, Hoover says they���ve ���turned off the crisis button.��� Though she projects they���ll make it through 2016, Hoover says they haven���t fully fixed the budget gap and there is still work to be done. With another season underway, local theater lovers will undoubtedly be watching and cheering her on. ���MP January 2013 bravamagazine.com 43